Google has released a new app, Science Journal, that will empower users to gather data from the world around them.
The Science Journal app uses your phone’s sensors to measure environmental factors, like light and sound. It then lets you record experiments, make notes on your observations, and turn your data into graphs.
Google has also released a range of activities that demonstrate how Science Journal can be put to good use. It says it will be releasing more in future.
In addition to the app itself, Google has partnered up with a number of vendors to offer a range of supplementary tools that can extend the app’s experimental potential. These include additional sensors, microcontrollers, craft supplies, and other materials. These additional components are only available in the US, however.
As you may have ascertained, Google appears to be aiming Science Journal predominantly at kids, though adults are also explicitly invited to give it a try.
“Fundamentally, we think this application will help you learn how to think like a scientist,” says Google.
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The company has also said that it will make the app open source later this summer, and that it is “eager to work with hardware vendors, science educators and the open source community to continue improving Science Journal.”
Science Journal is available to download for free now on Android.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
